Month: April 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JEROME WEAH was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 46 months in prison for engaging in a scheme to defraud a program of the New York City Human Resources Administration (“HRA”), which provides cash assistance to homeless veterans of the United States armed services (“Veterans”) seeking permanent housing.  Another defendant, RUDEAN WEIR, was sentenced to 30 months in prison on March 30, 2023, for his participation in the scheme.  The sentences were imposed by United States District Judge Denise L. Cote.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Rudean Weir and Jerome Weah stole approximately $5.4 million from a New York City program intended to benefit U.S. veterans seeking permanent housing.  These sentences should send a message that individuals who abuse Government programs to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers will face serious consequences.”

As alleged in the Complaint, Informations, and other documents in the public record, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:

From at least October 2020 through at least May 2022, RUDEAN WEIR and JEROME WEAH submitted more than 340 fraudulent applications seeking cash assistance pursuant to the Enhanced One Shot Deal (“EOSD”) program administered by the HRA.  The EOSD is an emergency assistance program pursuant to which HRA makes a one-time cash assistance payment to qualifying individuals.  EOSD payments are often used to help individuals move out of homeless shelters and/or other temporary housing into permanent housing.  EOSD payments may be used to cover certain costs associated with the move to permanent housing, including rent, moving expenses, security deposits, broker’s fees, and payments for furniture and other household items.  The HRA also offers and administers services and programs for Veterans, sometimes referred to as “Veteran’s Initiatives.”  In connection with these services, the HRA has a designated group responsible for receiving and reviewing EOSD requests made on behalf of homeless Veterans seeking permanent housing.

Between October 2020 and May 2022, the HRA received at least 340 EOSD applications which claimed that the applicants were homeless Veterans who had entered into a lease agreement with a particular landlord (“Landlord-1”).  Each of these applications (the “Landlord-1 EOSD Applications”) claimed that a particular company provided broker’s services in connection with the lease agreement (“Broker Company-1”).  HRA paid approximately $5.4 million in EOSD payments and broker’s fees pursuant to the Landlord-1 EOSD Applications.

The Landlord-1 EOSD Applications were fraudulent.  Landlord-1 and the Veterans did not, in fact, enter into the lease agreements submitted to HRA in connection with the Landlord-1 EOSD Applications, and Broker Company-1 did not provide real estate brokerage services to either Landlord-1 and/or the Veterans.  The Veterans identified in the Landlord-1 EOSD Applications were not homeless and typically did not live in New York City.  The Landlord-1 EOSD Applications, therefore, contained fake documentation and information and fraudulently induced HRA into making EOSD payments.

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In addition to the prison terms, both WEIR, 38, of Atlanta, Georgia, and WEAH, 47, of Trenton, New Jersey, were sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5,388,769.60.  WEIR was ordered to forfeit $3,779,489.00, including his interest in two bank accounts and six real estate properties.  WEAH was ordered to forfeit $2,179,922.60, including his interest in two bank accounts and one real estate property.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Department of Investigation.  Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Department of Social Services and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General for their assistance.

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weinberg is in charge of the prosecution.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Thank you, Mr. Attorney General.

Today in the United States an American dies—on average—nearly every eight minutes from fentanyl poisoning.

The fentanyl crisis in America—fueled in large part by the Sinaloa cartel—threatens our public health, our public safety, and our national security.

Today’s indictments reflect the Justice Department’s commitment to attacking every aspect of this threat—and the cartels that drive it—from the chemical companies in China that spawn fentanyl precursors, to the illicit labs that produce the poison, to the networks and money launderers and murderers that facilitate its distribution.

The Department of Justice is combating the cartels and the fentanyl epidemic the same way we’ve fought other threats: by targeting every aspect of their networks and by using all tools of national power to dismantle them.

Just as we went on offense against terrorists and cyber criminals around the globe, the Department is now waging a relentless campaign to disrupt the production and trafficking of fentanyl—before it can reach its victims.

The cases announced today expose the threat in disturbing detail: from precursor chemicals to suppliers, from chemists and distributors to hitmen.

Each of the nearly 30 defendants in these cases represent part of the machine that is pumping poisonous fentanyl into cities and towns across our country.

We won’t grind the cartel machine to a halt unless we attack it from every angle. And to do that, we need to use every tool we can and join forces with partners around our government and around the globe.

As the Attorney General described, earlier this morning, the Treasury Department announced sanctions against two Chinese companies and five individuals responsible for providing precursor chemicals to the Sinaloa Cartel.

And today, the State Department is announcing up to $56 million in rewards for information leading to the capture of these defendants.  

By combining our partners’ authorities with our own to disrupt the criminal networks trafficking fentanyl, the Department and our law enforcement partners are expanding the battle space.

To win this fight, we must also work with partners beyond our borders. We must capitalize on the strength and reach of our law enforcement partnerships around the world, including with our Mexican neighbors. 

Yesterday, the Attorney General and I met with top Mexican security officials. We agreed that we share a common mission: protecting our communities. 

We thanked them for recent actions in service of that mission—including the capture of Ovidio Guzman Lopez, one of the Chapitos, who led the branch of the Sinaloa cartel responsible for large volumes of fentanyl trafficking.

And we acknowledged the sacrifices of Mexican forces in this fight. The cartels that kill Americans with fentanyl are the same deadly forces that have killed brave Mexican officers. 

The blows that we deal to these cartels protect the citizens of both our nations.

But we must do more than just cross geographic borders—we need to expand our efforts into cyberspace.

Thousands of Americans, including children, are dying from fentanyl marketed and distributed over social media.

It’s no longer enough to protect our children from drug dealers in the park or on the street corner—because now those drug dealers ply their deadly trade on social media apps running on the phones in our kids’ pockets.

Last week, the DEA Administrator and I met with social media companies to discuss how they can—how they must—do more to stop the sale of fentanyl on their platforms.

Working together across the government and with the private sector, and using every available tool, we will defeat these cartels.

The women and men of the DEA, the FBI, and their law enforcement partners including at the Department of Homeland Security—and the tenacious prosecutors across the country represented here today—have worked painstakingly over many years to expose this threat and to hold the perpetrators to account.

They do this work to keep their communities safe and to honor those we’ve lost.

It is a privilege to work with them.

And now I’ll now turn it over to the DEA Administrator for more details on this investigation and our fentanyl strategy.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DARNELL KIDD, a/k/a “Black,” a/k/a “Donney,” a/k/a “Donney Black,” was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for the murder of Jonathan Johnson, 21, on March 18, 2011, in White Plains, New York.  On November 16, 2022, KIDD was convicted of one count of murder through the use of a firearm, following a jury trial before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, who imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This lengthy investigation is yet another example of this Office’s commitment to prosecuting those who perpetuate gun violence and rob residents of New York of their peace and safety.  We will continue our all-hands-on-deck approach with our law enforcement partners to identify and punish those who commit violent and brutal gun offenses.”

According to the evidence at trial and statements made in public court proceedings and filings:

On March 18, 2011, DARNELL KIDD and his co-defendant MARCUS CHAMBERS murdered Jonathan Johnson by shooting him during an armed robbery for marijuana in White Plains.  In advance of the robbery, CHAMBERS arranged by phone to purchase three ounces of marijuana from Johnson.  Intending to instead rob Johnson, CHAMBERS and KIDD met with Johnson in or near Johnson’s car, which was parked on a suburban street in White Plains.  During the course of the robbery, KIDD drew a loaded gun and fired it, killing Johnson.  KIDD and CHAMBERS then fled from the scene of the murder.   

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In addition to his prison term, KIDD, 31, of Yonkers, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the White Plains Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, which comprises Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the FBI, United States Probation Office, New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Westchester County Department of Public Safety, Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, New York City Police Department, Yonkers Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department, Peekskill Police Department, Greenburgh Police Department, New Rochelle Police Department, White Plains Police Department, Clarkstown Police Department, and Ramapo Police Department.  Mr. Williams also thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in this matter.

This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olga I. Zverovich, Christopher Brumwell, and Steven J. Kochevar, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Shannon Becker, are in charge of the prosecution.